The Call of Death
by Ran-dezvous
Summary: Kogoro is struck with a terrible sickness. How will this affect the lives of our favorite Detective Conan characters?
1. Chapter 1: The Symptoms

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan and any of its characters.(As if Gosho would do this...hehe)

**Edit (November 17, 2006): **I decided to use single quotation marks to indicate thoughts so that there wouldn't be any abrupt change in the POV. I also made some minor changes. Feel free to skip this chapter.

**The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 1: The Symptoms**

Mouri Kogoro always kept to himself the memory lapses of the cases he managed to solve.

But that's not all that he's keeping…

He couldn't admit to others that he was sorry for what happened between him and his wife Kisaki Eri 10 years ago. She moved out and lived in a big apartment all by herself, leaving him and their 6-year-old daughter Ran behind.

So he decided to resign as a police investigator of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and became a private detective, with the office right at his very home (which was on top of a coffee shop).

His only refuge was more alcohol and cigarettes. He kept on watching more of Okino Yoko's shows, hoping that she would fill the emptiness of his heart.

_When one is sick emotionally, the body is soon to follow…_

There were so many changes occurring in Kogoro's 36-year-old body. He was very afraid yet he was very stubborn to admit it. Even Ran, who was usually dense, noticed the changes happening to her father.

He felt weak—even weaker than the time Ran made him run on the treadmill at the Seiji Sports Club. His gluttonous self lost the willingness to eat.

"Hey, Dad, I think you should go see a doctor." Ran said.

"Ran-neechan's right, Uncle. You look terrible." Conan agreed.

"What the heck are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine." Kogoro denied. "Could you please get me more beer?"

"No, Dad, I'm not letting you have any beer or cigarettes!" Ran exclaimed. "Just look at yourself! You look terrible!"

"I'm sure some rest is all I need to get better…" Kogoro said.

"I sure hope so…" Ran mumbled to herself.

* * *

Many days passed and Kogoro wasn't getting any better. In fact, he looked much worse. He felt too tired even to shave, which explains the black dots around his mouth and his much, much thicker moustache. 

He felt too sick to even drink beer, though he was still in constant denial of it.

Ran just simply stared at her father with a worried expression on her face. 'This is so odd of him! He always shaves so that he could flirt with other women…except for that moustache that he always kept all these years. And he has beer for every meal…well…I _did_ want him to stop after all…but…something…something just doesn't feel right about this…'

She then marched to her father who was slouching on his black office chair behind his desk. "That's it, Dad! I'm dragging you to the hospital whether you like it or not!"

As she grabbed her father's hand, she saw spots on it. They were yellow spots, to be exact. This just caused her to worry more. She wrapped her left arm behind her father's head and saw that the white areas surrounding her father's raven irises had turned into yellow.

Kogoro felt too sick to even resist being carried by his daughter's loving arms. He gradually closed his eyes and dreamt of what happened 10 years ago—when he and Eri had a very big fight. Eri was injured because of what happened earlier that morning—she was shot in the leg. She wanted to cook dinner in gratitude of Kogoro defending her—but he got angry at her because she didn't listen to him when he told her to take a rest. This all led to the separation between him and Eri although she never took off her wedding ring. (Kogoro didn't know that though.)

"C'mon, Conan-kun, we have to take Dad to the hospital!" Ran exclaimed.

Ran, together with Conan, ran out the door of the detective agency and downstairs going the sidewalk. They ran to the nearest hospital, which was the Beika Hospital. It was where Eri gave birth to Ran and where Yukiko gave birth to Shinichi. But Ran had no time to think about such things.

She and Conan raced to the white attendant counter. "You've got to help me," Ran panted to the nursing attendant. "I don't know what happening to my father…and…and…I'm scared…"

The nursing attendant immediately called a doctor to check up on Kogoro.

The doctor came and told Ran and Conan that he would take care of Kogoro while they wait in the lobby. With a white stretcher, Kogoro was taken away to be examined while Ran and Conan sat down on the scarlet bench leaning on the wall to the right of the attendant's counter.

"I wonder what's going to happen to Dad," Ran said to Conan with a worried look on her face.

"I'm sure the doctor's going to cure him, Ran-neechan!" Conan exclaimed with his cute child-like smile, hoping to cheer Ran up.

"Yeah, you're right," Ran replied.

Ran didn't notice it, but Conan cringed at the sound of that. After all, he does know a lot more than her, being at the top of the class when he used to be 16-year-old Kudou Shinichi. He knows what can possibly this would led up to but didn't tell her because he there's no way she would believe a child. She'd probably dismiss it as a joke or a claim it to be a figment of his imagination. 'If only I'm Shinichi, she'll believe me…but do I really want to worry her like that?'

* * *

Kogoro had gone through many tests and as the doctor looked over the test results, the prospects don't seem to be too bright. He then called the nursing attendant at the counter telling her to call the wavy chocolate-brown haired girl to the phone. 

"Hey, you over there!" the nursing attendant shouted at Ran. "The doctor wants to talk to you!"

Ran stood up from the bench, followed by Conan. When she grasped the phone and held it over her right ear, she greeted, "Moshi moshi!"

"Hello, is this the girl with the wavy chocolate-brown hair?" the doctor questioned.

"Yes, I'm Mouri Ran."

"How are you related to the man you brought with you?"

"I'm his daughter. I'm the daughter of Mouri Kogoro."

"Mouri Kogoro, the famous detective?"

"Yes, now why did you call me, sir?" Ran asked, with her eyebrows pointing down and her left hand clenched and shaking.

"There's something important I have to tell you…something I just can't tell over the phone. Could you please go to Room 409?"

"Sure…why not?" Ran said with her voice trembling. 'I don't like how this is going…'

"Okay…then I'll see you later?"

"Yeah…see you later…" Ran whispered and put down the phone. "C'mon, Conan-kun," she faced him and smiled, trying to hide her worry from her face. "Let's go to Room 409!"

"Mm!" Conan replied. 'Something bad's going to happen…I just wish I was wrong.'

And off Ran and Conan went in search of Room 409.


	2. Chapter 2: Winds of Change

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan. I can't even draw Conan-kun's face right!

**Edit (January 29, 2007):** I fixed the paragraph with the horrible over description! Please read it and tell me what you think! Thanks!

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait! But at least my chapter's longer (although I can't guarantee that for future chapters). Since I updated on the 26th (didn't expect that, honestly), I dedicate this to my sister, a fellow Detective Conan fan (we both think this is the best show ever!), on her birthday. For my sister and all those sharing her birthday...**Otanjobi omedeto desu! **_(Happy birthday!)_

I would like to thank all those who read. Especially **RanMouri82 **_(my wonderful first reviewer)_ and **Himiko Azora. **_(You're happy now, aren't you? I finally updated!) _Read their fics after this!

I had better stop blabbering now. On with chapter 2!

**The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 2: Winds of Change**

As the doctor was looking over the test results again, he heard a knock on the door. "Is that you Mouri-san?"

"Yes, sir. Is it okay if I brought Conan-kun with me?" Ran asked for permission.

"Sure, why not? Come in and make yourselves comfortable." The doctor allowed her.

Ran and Conan went inside and sat on the black chairs in front of the doctor's desk.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me, sir?" Ran asked.

"Well, yes. It's about your father. I'm afraid he's terribly ill. He's got—"

"Got what, doctor?" Ran interrupted.

"Liver cirrhosis," was the doctor's lackadaisical reply.

"Liver cirrhosis? What's that?" Ran had no idea what it was but she was sure it didn't sound good.

"Liver cirrhosis occurs when there's scarring in the liver tissues. There are many causes for this, but the most common one is alcoholism. Speaking of which, is your father an alcoholic?"

"Yes, he is. He has beer almost every meal…until lately….He was acting really strange…and that's why I brought him here…"

"That definitely explains the high amount of alcohol in his blood, Mouri-san."

"Will he…will he get better doctor?"

"What's done is done. The damage cannot be repaired. However, we can prevent further damage from happening, thus prolonging his life expectancy."

"I see. Does my…does my father know about this already?"

"No, not yet. He's still unconscious. He's in a private room right above my office—Room 509. I'll tell him when he wakes up. I better go up and check on him."

"Could we come with you doctor?"

"Sure. Just don't touch the equipment, okay?"

"Yes sir. Right Conan-kun?" Ran turned to Conan.

"Mm!" Conan replied with a smile on his tiny face.

The walk to Kogoro's room took about ten minutes. The doctor, despite the fact that he had been working in this hospital for years already, took a lot of time searching for the room. Why the rooms weren't arranged in order was a mystery to him.

* * *

As Ran was staring at her father, the doctor's words reverberated in her head repeatedly. She had a serious face, but Conan did not notice it as he was seriously mulling over the matter as well. 'Life expectancy…does this mean Dad could die? What's going to happen to me…to Conan-kun…to everyone…everyone including Mom? This can't be real! Somebody wake me up and tell me it's only a dream….somebody…please….' Crystalline tears were slowly falling down her sapphire eyes. She kept on wiping her tears off but they won't stop flowing. 

Conan didn't notice Ran crying. He was still busy staring at the man he called "uncle" ever since he shrunk to the size of a little boy. 'I was right…but I wish I wasn't. Even though he keeps on bopping me on the head because I give him clues to help him solve those cases…even though he's the worse detective to ever grace the earth…even though he's a total cheapskate…even though he uses my parents' money to play mahjongg with his friends…even though he's been a pathetic father to Ran and a worse husband to Eri-san…he doesn't deserve this….There are worse people than him—much, much worse—and they are still roaming free—free to do what they want without any regard of others. If he dies, how am I going to get any lead on the Black Organization? Are Ran and I going to move into her mother's apartment?'

Conan mentally slapped himself. 'How could I be so selfish as to think about how I'm going to get leads? What about Ran? I'm sure she must be crying her eyes out…'

Conan turned his gaze away from Kogoro and directed it towards Ran. Her tears had stopped flowing and had already dried up but her face was ruby-colored because of her crying. It was the first time Conan—not Shinichi—was not able to comfort her. "Ran-neechan, were you crying?"

"Of course not!" Ran retorted, trying to put a strong façade as she was worried how a young boy such as Conan would be able to handle losing someone important in his life. She definitely wasn't. The pain was worse—much worse than when her mother moved out of their home and her father started his vices.

"Okay, if you say so, Ran-neechan!" Conan replied, thinking it was stupid to pursue the issue and feeling sorry he wasn't able to comfort her.

The doctor had only checked Kogoro's condition for only fifteen minutes but those few minutes felt like hours to both Ran and Conan.

Kogoro's condition had improved. The spots on his body were gone, and the yellow areas surrounding his irises had turned back into white. If only Ran could see those eyes…

The doctor, Ran, and Conan were about to leave when Kogoro woke up. "Huh? What am I doing here?" he said groggily.

"Conan and I brought you to the hospital. You looked really awful." Ran replied.

"You should have seen yourself in the mirror, Uncle." Conan joked in the hopes of making the gloomy atmosphere surrounding them go away.

"Shut up, you little runt! I feel fine!" Kogoro retorted. "Could we go home now?"

"No Dad, you're not fine! You've got… you've got liver cirrhosis!" Ran cried.

"What are you talking about? I'm sure the doctor can prescribe me some medicine and it will all get better!" Kogoro reasoned as he wanted to get out of the stuffy atmosphere of the hospital.

"I can only prescribe you supplements to take and lifestyle changes to make," stated the doctor in order to calm down the almost bickering father and daughter.

"What do you mean by that?" Kogoro asked.

"Well, I can't do anything to cure the damage already done but you can do something to prevent further damage, thus prolonging your life," the doctor answered.

"Prolong my life? You mean I could die anytime?"

"People who have suffered the same disease as you generally live for five to nine years."

"So what should I do?"

"Well, first of all, you should avoid alcohol. You should also…"

"What? No beer? Isn't there another way?" Kogoro complained.

"No, Dad. Beer's what caused this." Ran said. "Why don't you just listen to the doctor?"

"Okay, okay! I was just asking," said Kogoro, waving the fingers of both his hands up and down, eyes closed and a giddy smile on his face.

"You should also avoid protein-rich foods." The doctor added, "Your liver might not be able to tolerate it."

"What? So you're saying I can't eat meat either? This is too much!" Kogoro whined.

"Zip it, Dad." Ran said. The sadness that filled her heart turned into irritation.

"Since you have excess copper in your liver, I suggest you avoid foods rich in copper such as chocolate, shellfish, and liver," the doctor continued Kogoro's list of things to avoid.

Kogoro gave up on his protests. He knew that Ran would just make him shut up. If those restrictions would make him live longer, then so be it. He just nodded at everything the doctor said, not really listening to any of it. He was sure Ran would remember it for him. He just sulked inwardly at the fact that he can't drink beer or eat meat, chocolate, shellfish, or liver—not that he liked its bitter taste anyway.

Ran asked Conan if he brought his little red notebook and pen. It was a good thing he always kept them inside the tiny pocket of his navy blue jacket. The doctor was saying a lot and Ran couldn't keep track of everything he had said without writing anything down.

The doctor babbled about many things from supplements to herbs that were rumored to help. Other than those dietary changes, Kogoro could still live normally as long as he has his regular check-ups.

Only the last line caught Kogoro's ear. "So does this mean I could go home?" he asked.

"Yes, Mouri-tantei. And you can still solve cases as long as you follow everything I've told you," the doctor replied, removing a piece of small white paper from his long, black clipboard. He filled in all the required information, affixed his signature, and gave the paper to Kogoro. "Here's your hospital release, sir."

"Whoopee!" Kogoro cheered.

"By the way, I forgot to ask you something doctor." Ran said.

"Yes, what is it, Mouri-san?" the doctor politely replied.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, how silly of me! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hayabashira Daisuke." He responded as he placed his right hand in the lower right pocket of his white lab coat. Fishing out a small rectangular piece of white card that appeared to have writings on it, he added, "Here's my business card. Just dial those numbers in case something happens."

"Okay, Dr. Hayabashira. I will."

"You can pay your bill at the counter in the lobby."

A haunting silence filled the room.

"Thanks. We have to go now. I'll be seeing you."

"Goodbye then."

Ran, Conan, and Kogoro left the room. Ran led the two toward a quiet place in the hospital where she believed that no one would see and—most especially—hear what was about to happen. "Hey, Dad, I don't suppose you have any money, do you?" she inquired in a worried tone.

Kogoro placed his large right hand in his right pants pocket. He fished out a plain rectangular black wallet, opened it, and found some yen bills and coins. Knowing that Japan was a very expensive place to live in, it was obvious to him that the money that he had right now wouldn't be enough. If only he didn't gamble the millions of yen he received every month from Edogawa Conan's parents. "I don't think this will be enough…" The detective mumured.

"What? Don't tell me you used Conan-kun's parents' money to play mahjongg with your friends?" Ran yelled. It was a good thing no one was around…

"Hey, that was many days ago," said Kogoro defensively.

"Conan-kun, do have some money?" Ran pleaded, hoping that he had enough money to pay the bill no matter how low that possibility might be.

Conan shoved his tiny hands inside the pockets of his light blue colored shorts. He was able to fish out a hundred yen bill and some coins.

"Looks like what we have here isn't enough," sighed Ran. "Dad, this is all your fault. I'm calling Mom." With that, she grabbed her cellphone from her right shorts pocket and looked up her mother's number in the phonebook. When she found the word "Mom", she pressed the leftmost button bellow the screen and placed the phone behind her right ear as the phone tried to reach Kisaki Eri's phone.

_

* * *

__Riiing! Riiing!_

Kisaki Eri heard her cellphone ringing and decided to answer it. "Moshi moshi? This is Kisaki Eri speaking."

"Mom, it's me Ran."

"Why did you call?" Eri asked, curious for the reason of the phone call.

"Well…you see…Dad had to be brought to the hospital. The doctor told me that Dad has liver cirrhosis. He's okay, as long as he follows the doctor's instructions and gets his regular check-ups. We were about to leave when I remembered that I used up all my money to buy groceries and Dad and Conan-kun combined don't have enough money so…I was wondering if you could come here and pay Dad's bill…" Ran reported, wishing that her mother would concede.

It was the first time she ever had to ask money from her mother since they generally had enough but hospitalizations in Japan were expensive and she didn't even know if her father had life insurance.

"What? Your father has been hospitalized and you only called me to ask for money?" Eri exclaimed. "I'm coming over there right this instant. Where are you?"

"We're at the Beika Hospital. You can find us in the lobby." Ran answered.

"Okay, then. Bye."

"I'll see you later then."

_Beep…Beep…Beep…_

* * *

Ran's mother had ended the call. Ran returned her phone inside her pocket. "C'mon, we have to go to the lobby. Mom will be looking for us there," Ran mumbled, yet it was still audible for her two companions to hear. 

And so they left.

* * *

After fifteen minutes, Kisaki Eri entered the hospital lobby. It was a good thing she was only in her apartment and had no trials to attend to when she received the call. 

She approached the woman at the counter and pointed to the man with raven hair, still unshaven. "I'm going to pay for that man's hospitalization fee."

"Okay…Who are you anyway?" the nurse with brown shoulder-length hair asked.

"I'm his wife." Eri replied. It was a strange feeling; she hadn't said anything like that in ten years.

"Okay. Just fill up all the needed information, sign your name, give the hospital release form together with the money, and you're good to go," the nurse instructed.

"Wait here. I have to get the hospital release form from my husband." The last two words gave a chill—colder than the strongest blizzard—down her spine.

Eri approached her husband who was sitting nearby on a scarlet bench together with Ran and Conan. "Where's the form?"

"Here," Kogoro replied as he handed the lawyer the form and added in a puzzled manner, "Did you just call me your husband?"

"Well, I never sent you divorce papers, did I?" Eri cleverly remarked.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Kogoro answered. His eyes landed on his wife's hand—specifically the ring finger. "Hey, you're still wearing your wedding ring," he pointed out.

"I don't really care if you wear yours or not," Eri cockily said with a smirk on her face. "I just want men to get away from me."

"Oh," was the only reply Kogoro gave. So much for his chances of getting back together with his wife.

Eri returned to the counter and did all that she needed to do. After that, she went back to where the three were sitting. "Here," she said, handing some money to Ran. "This should be enough. If you need any help, you can call me anytime."

"Okay, Mom, I will." Ran answered.

"Make sure he follows all of the doctor's instructions," Eri added, hiding her affection for her husband. "I don't want to have to spend anymore money than I already have to."

"I'll make sure of that, Mom." Ran said as she placed her money in her wallet and placed it back in her left shorts pocket.

Eri waved goodbye to Ran and Conan and went back to her apartment.

"You guys stay here. I'll buy Dad's supplements at the hospital's pharmacy." Ran ordered.

"But, neechan, I want to go with you!" Conan insisted. He was like her guardian angel, always at her tail.

"But there'll be no one left to take care of Dad." Ran explained.

"Oh, alright. Be back soon, okay, neechan?" Conan said the first sentence in a low tone and the second one in a higher tone.

"I will. Bye!"

"Bye, Ran-neechan!" Conan exclaimed as Ran left for the pharmacy.

Conan quietly stared at Kogoro. 'What's he staring at?'

Conan looked at the direction Kogoro was facing. There was a beautiful brunette wearing a cobalt coat at the far end of the room. 'That's odd. He'd usually flirt with every woman he sees.'

"_Here," Kogoro replies as he hands the lawyer the form and inquires in a puzzled manner, "Did you just call me your husband?"_

"_Well, I never sent you divorce papers, did I?" Eri cleverly remarks._

"_Yeah, I guess so…" Kogoro answered. His eyes land on his wife's hand—specifically the ring finger. "Hey, you're still wearing your wedding ring," he points out._

Conan then remembered a conversation between the "spouses" a while ago. 'Could it be that he still loves Eri-san?'

* * *

Ran had fallen for a long line at the pharmacy. She read out her list of supplements to buy for her father. It said: 

_1. S-adenosylmethionine_

_2. branch chain amino acids_

_3. fermentable fiber_

_4. phosphatidycholine_

_5. zinc acetate_

_6. zinc sulfate _

_7. ursodeoxycholic acid_

_8. tauroursodeoxycholic acid _

_9. L-ornithine-L-asparate_

_10. L-carnithine_

_11. Vitamin E_

_12. selenium_

_13. calcitriol_

'What on earth are these stuff? I have absolutely no idea what they are.' These thoughts crossed Ran's mind over and over again as she repeatedly read the list while waiting in line.

The people in front of her were finally done. She approached the pharmacist and gave the strawberry blonde middle-aged woman the list.

The pharmacist read the list and immediately gathered the supplements mentioned in it. "This must be really serious," she remarked, returning the list to Ran.

The middle-aged woman placed the supplements inside a large blue plastic bag. Ran saw the price of what she bought on a 5x1 rectangular screen placed in front of the line. She paid what was due and gathered her change. She grabbed the receipt and placed it in her wallet together with her change. Carrying the plastic bag, she left and walked back to the hospital lobby.

'Really serious, huh? I guess things will never be the same again.' Ran thought as she walked.

_If you think my writing's awful, you're free to flame me. If you want, you can flambé, roast, barbecue, grill, stew, fry, broil, poach, boil, or bake. Anything you want! Then maybe my story would suit your tastes because it's raw. But please, not too much or else I'll be carcinogenic. _


	3. Chapter 3: A Not So Ordinary Evening

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan. If I did, the mysteries would suck.

**Edit (November 17, 2006): **I decided to use single quotation marks to indicate thoughts so that there wouldn't be any abrupt change in the POV. I also made some minor changes. (Yes, I'm an editing freak.) No need for you guys to read it again.

**The Call of Death** _by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 3: A Not So Ordinary Evening**

Ran had reached the hospital lobby when she heard a tiny voice shouting, "Ran-neechan!" It was Conan shouting at the far end of the room.

She approached her two companions and said, "Let's go home now." Looking at the plain black and white clock hanging on top of the white wall, she added, "It's already nightfall. You two must be hungry already."

"Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry. I haven't eaten all day!" Kogoro remarked.

The three then left the hospital premises and went back home to the Mouri Detective Agency. Kogoro was the first one to come in, followed by Conan and Ran.

"I better make dinner now. Conan-kun, take care of Dad, okay?" Ran said.

"Mm!" Conan replied.

Kogoro sat in his usual spot: his office chair. He turned on the television set and pressed the buttons on the remote control, searching for Okino Yoko's videos. After a few minutes of channel surfing, he found one and bellowed, "Go Yoko!" as he watched the pop star sing.

'Maybe I was wrong about him still loving Eri-san.' Conan thought as watched Kogoro yell "Go Yoko!" over and over again.

Then his gaze landed on Kogoro's mouth. 'I almost forgot that he hasn't shaven for days now. He looks like a drunkard with all those black dots surrounding him—as if he wasn't.'

Conan couldn't refrain himself from giving out a little chuckle. "Hey, aren't you going to shave or something? You look like a drunkard, Uncle."

"Why you little runt! Who are you calling a drunkard?" Kogoro shouted back at Conan, and then left for the bathroom, forgetting to turn off the TV.

* * *

Kogoro looked at his face in the mirror. "Guess that brat's right. I do look like a drunkard," he mumbled to himself, shoving the fact that he is one. 

With that in mind, he grabbed his razor (because he's too cheap to buy an electric shaver even though he wanted one) and shaving cream and started shaving.

* * *

After ten minutes, Kogoro went back to his office and found Conan to be engrossed with a crime documentary. "Why you, telling me to shave so that you could hog the TV to yourself. Give me the remote!" Kogoro angrily bawled at Conan. 

"Fine," Conan burbled while handing the remote. 'The case was too easy anyway.'

Kogoro was about to switch the channel when he heard Ran's voice saying, "Dinner's ready!"

Kogoro and Conan went to the dining room. Kogoro had forgotten to turn off the TV again so Conan turned it off for him.

* * *

"Itadakimasu!" The three occupants of the Mouri Detective Agency bellowed out before dipping their chopsticks into their respective bowls of rice. 

After thrusting a morsel of rice into his mouth, Kogoro dipped his chopsticks into his bowl where the viand was placed. "What's this?" Kogoro uttered with the rice still in his mouth.

"Vegetables, Dad." Ran bluntly answered.

"Vegetables only! No meat?" Kogoro protested.

"Dad! Don't you remember that you should try to avoid protein-rich foods?" Ran reminded her father.

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that. But still….Is this the only thing I can eat?"

"Well…yeah."

Kogoro was about to surrender and place some bean sprouts in his mouth when Conan pointed out something.

"Ran-neechan, aren't bean sprouts rich in protein too?"

"Well…uhmm…I guess you're right Conan-kun." Ran answered with her eyes closed and a smile spread across her face, trying to hide her embarrassment. "How silly of me to forget that."

"Okay, so I can't eat bean sprouts. What about other kinds of vegetables, huh?"

"You can't eat legumes." Conan replied.

"Legumes? What are those?" Kogoro asked.

'What? I can't believe this! He doesn't know what legumes are and yet he calls himself a meitantei.'

"Legumes are beans, dad." Ran informed him.

"Well, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kogoro said, glaring evilly at Conan, who sat beside him.

'I don't know—maybe because I expected you to already have known what legumes are.' Conan thought with an air of sarcasm.

"So, can I eat the rest of these?" Kogoro questioned, eyeing the rest of the vegetables that lay on the bowl waiting to be eaten.

"Yeah, yeah." Conan responded, returning Kogoro's devilish look.

"Hey, Ran, I need a bowl to put my bean sprouts in. Could you get me one?" Kogoro tactfully changed the topic.

"Yeah, sure, Dad." Ran replied, as she got off her chair and grabbed a small bowl.

* * *

Kogoro was in front of the glass-covered cabinet, which contained his alcoholic beverages. He had sneaked behind Ran to look for a can of beer in the refrigerator. Finding no beer, he cursed. "I thought she used up all her money to buy groceries! Darn that girl!" 

Next, he tried to open the glass panel. "She locked this!" He said angrily.

He went to his office and turned on the television using his remote control, while mumbling to himself, "Guess I'll just watch one of Yoko's concerts." He started channel surfing.

After switching channels for two minutes, Kogoro (actually) turned off the TV.

"I need a smoke."

Dipping his hands into his pockets, he searched for a pack. All he found was his tattered wallet. He marched to the kitchen in search of Ran. "Where're the cigarettes?"

Ran had just finished washing the dishes when he burst in. "Sorry, Dad. I threw them all away."

"What? But the doctor said nothing about cigarettes!"

"Well, it's bad enough that you have liver cirrhosis! I don't want you to get lung cancer too, all right?" Ran replied.

"Fine," Kogoro said, giving in. There was nothing he could do now. Things are different, and he couldn't argue about a lifestyle change for the sake of his prolonging. Downhearted, he proposed a calming bath.

* * *

Conan had just finished taking his bath. He went back to the kitchen to check up on Ran as he usually did. He saw something he didn't expect—his beloved Ran was crying. "Ran-neechan, is there something wrong?" 

"No, no, Conan-kun. It's nothing." Ran quietly responded, wiping the hot, salty tears off her face.

"Is it about Uncle?" Conan insisted.

Ran didn't reply. She just knelt down and hugged Conan as she continued to cry.

"Don't worry, Ran-neechan. Everything will be all right." Conan comforted Ran, patting her back tenderly. 'I sure hope so…'

"You're right, Conan-kun." Ran looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's getting late. You have to go to bed already. We've got school tomorrow."

"Yes, Ran-neechan." Conan gently let go of Ran's embrace. 'I'll make everything better, I promise.'

* * *

That night was a restless one. No one in the Mouri household was able to sleep. Even Eri in her big apartment couldn't sleep. They were all thinking of how their lives would change. 

That night…that sleepless night…would be the longest one in their lives.

_Yes! I finally have my internet connection back. By the time I gave up trying to connect using my regular dial-up and bought a prepaid card, the regular connection worked. (Ahh...the irony) The good thing was I was able to start on Chapter 4 and some fanfic ideas that I had._

_While waiting for my next chapter, why don't you check out my new DC oneshot (done during my internetless days) **Contact Lenses**?_

_Thank you once again to my faithful reviewer **Himiko Azora**._


	4. Chapter 4: An Important Mission

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan. I can't even come up with a Japanese sentence on my own!

**Edit (November 17, 2006): **I decided to use single quotation marks to indicate what a character is thinking so that there wouldn't be an abrupt change in the POV. Reading this again is not a necesscity.

** The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 4: An Important Mission**

The Teitan Elementary School played a short tune, as it was time for dismissal. Conan was walking out of the school premises together with the Shounen Tantei. As they went outside the gate, they stopped walking when Ayumi asked Conan a question.

"Do you want to go to the zoo with us, Conan-kun?"

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to do something." Conan apologized.

"Oh, that's too bad." Ayumi sadly responded.

"Yeah. You won't get to see the animals." Genta chirped in.

"Don't worry. We'll tell you all about it tomorrow." Mitsuhiko reassured Conan.

'As if I'm interested in all that...' The chibi tantei thought.

"What about you, Ai-chan?" Ayumi asked Ai, the dirty blonde-haired girl who remained quiet all throughout.

"Sorry, but I can't come either." Ai quietly replied. 'Kudou, what are you up to?'

"Oh, okay." Ayumi said. "See you guys tomorrow then."

"Bye!" Conan hollered. He then left together with Ai.

The three remaining members thus went to the Beika Zoo.

* * *

Conan and Ai were walking for quite a while now when the latter decided to break the silence. "What are you up to, Kudou?" 

"I need you to do something for me." Conan whispered.

"What is it?" Ai asked.

"I'll tell you when we get to Agasa-hakase's place."

"Okay."

* * *

"Tadaima!" Conan and Ai yelled in chorus. The latter opened the door and the two children removed their shoes and replaced them with the slippers provided for them. Then they walked to Agasa-hakase's laboratory. 

"Welcome home, Ai-kun." The professor greeted. "Shinichi, what brings you here?"

Before Conan could answer, Ai said, "He needed me to do something for him."

"What is it, Shinichi?" Agasa-hakase asked.

"I was wondering….If Haibara-san could create an apotoxin to shrink us both to little children…then maybe…she could also create a cure for liver cirrhosis…"

"Liver cirrhosis? Why would you want a cure for liver cirrhosis?" Ai inquired.

"Well….You see….Uncle has liver cirrhosis…" Conan answered.

"Uncle? Ahh…Mouri-tantei? I see…"

"So will you do it, Haibara-san?" Conan pleaded. Please, I beg of you!

"I'll try. But this means I won't be able to work on the antidote for a while. Are you sure?"

"Yes." Conan replied with a look of determination in his eyes.

"Alright then." Ai went off to work on the cure.

"Is it okay to use the phone, Agasa-hakase?" Conan questioned. "I need to call Ran."

"Sure." Agasa-hakase replied.

Conan went to get the wireless phone. He adjusted his bowtie so that the voice that would come out was his real one (Shinichi's). He then dialed the numbers of the Mouri Detective Agency.

* * *

_Riiing! Riiing!_

Ran heard the telephone ringing. Since her father was sleeping on his office chair (again), she felt that it was her responsibility to answer the phone.

"Moshi moshi! Mouri Detective Agency." Ran spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Hi, Ran!" A familiar teenage detective's voice greeted.

"Shinichi! Where the heck have you been?" The karate champion growled.

"Oh, you know, solving cases."

"Just when are you ever going to come back?"

"As soon as I've finished solving with all these cases." The detective lied. He hated himself for doing that but he felt that it was the right thing to do. He didn't want her to be involved for she may be endangered because of it.

"That's a lie! You say that everytime you call me!" Ran howled back at him in protest. In a lower tone of voice, she added, "I'm sick and tired of this, Shinichi. I'm fed up with all these jokes. I don't know what to do anymore. Do _you _have any idea what's going on around here?"

Both parties became silent.

The detective knew what she was going to say. He felt really idiotic at the moment, cursing himself for the stupidity of calling his best friend (and love interest) when they weren't exactly on good terms.

The Detective of the East then remembered the reason of his call—he wanted to comfort Ran as himself, not as Conan. He then remembered the time when Ran's mother left the detective agency to live by herself in a big apartment. He was there—he was there to comfort Ran. But now, instead of comforting her, he made everything worse. He really despised himself right now…if only he was more of a gentleman and walked her back home instead of following those two men in black back at Tropical Land, he wouldn't be in this predicament right now. He would be there, right beside her, comforting her as she cried her eyes out…just as he did ten years ago. His train of thought was interrupted by a familiar female teenager's voice.

"Shinichi? Are you still there? Say something!"

"Ran, I just want to let you know how sorry I really am…for not being there when you needed me the most." The Savior of the Police Force humbly apologized in a low tone. It was one of those rare times when he apologized. He was never really one who apologizes. In fact, he was an egoistic person, who enjoyed reading fanmail, being on the news, and making fun of other people's faults in the privacy of his superior mind.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" The female on the other end of the line asked. "You know? But I haven't told you yet! How could you have possibly known that?"

"Oh that. Conan told me." The Heisei Holmes responded.

'Conan-kun's such a wonderful boy…although this call didn't exactly made me feel better…I really must thank him when he gets home.' The girl who was in a way Conan's mother thought. "Shinichi, I'm sorry for getting so frustrated at you….I know you just meant well."

"That's okay, Ran. You were just frustrated with everything that's happening to you….I really wish I was there by your side, you know that, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" A girl with chocolate-brown hair inquired, with tears forming over her ocean blue eyes. "You _are_ by my side, even if it's just by a phone call, don't you know that?"

"You're right. I'm so silly." The boy clad in blue affirmed, letting out a giggle. He looked at his silver stun-gun watch that he used regularly to shoot a tranquilizer dart behind Kogoro's neck to solve cases. It was already evening and he had to go back to the agency soon. "I have to go now, Ran. I still have a case to get back to." As he was about to put down the line, he heard the karate team captain reminding him of something.

"Hey, Shinichi, haven't you forgotten something?"

"Huh?" The detective wondered. He was sure he accomplished everything he wanted to do—apologize and comfort Ran.

"I can't believe you forgot! You always tell me one whenever you call me!" The karate champion exclaimed with a smile on her face. Her tears evaporated into thin air and her sadness was washed away.

"I'm sorry, Ran. But I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." The Detective of the East apologized. For a detective, he could sometimes be _so _dense.

"A Sherlock Holmes story! I can't believe _you _were _actually_ going to forget to tell me one!"

"A Sherlock Holmes story? But I thought you're fed up with all my Sherlock Holmes babble," came the shocked reply of the Savior of the Police Force.

"I guess I just missed it." The ocean blue-eyed girl answered.

"Okay. How does "A Scandal in Bohemia" sound?" The with the same eye color as the girl queried.

"Sounds great."

"Okay, there was this king of Bohemia…"

* * *

The Heisei Holmes continued to narrate his story for fifteen minutes. "Bye, Ran." 

"Bye, Shinichi. Thanks for the story."

"You're welcome." The boy with jet black hair returned.

Both parties had put down the phone.

* * *

"Agasa-hakase, I have to go now. Say goodbye to Haibara-san for me." 

"I will. Bye, Shinichi." The professor replied.

Conan went back to the place where he placed his red sneakers. He removed the green slippers that he was currently wearing and exchanged them for his shoes. With that, he opened the door and walked home to the detective agency.

Ran was merrily cooking dinner. Her father was engrossed in watching Okino Yoko.

Everyone at the detective agency was so immersed in their activities that they didn't notice Conan's "taidaima" when he entered the interior of the office.

Conan didn't really mind not hearing Ran saying "Okaiiri nasai, Conan-kun," at that moment. He felt so joyful at that moment that he rapidly went up to his room and quickly finished his homework. He then decided to read his favorite Sherlock Holmes novel, "The Sign of Four" as he waited for Ran to finish cooking supper. 'This is _definitely _better than going to the zoo…' Conan thought.

* * *

Everyone had finished eating dinner. Kogoro was back to his Okino Yoko viewing. Conan was about to go to the bathroom to take a bath when he felt soft slender porcelain arms around him. He heard a familiar female voice muttering in a low tone, "Arigatou, Conan-kun." 

"It's okay, Ran-neechan." 'Mission accomplished…'

The girl that was referred to by Conan as "Ran-neechan" let go of her arms. She watched Conan leave for the bathroom and begun her usual routine of washing the dishes with a really visible smile on her face.

_I wanted to put this up last chapter but I forgot, so here goes._

_**Japanese Terms: **(For those who have a basic knowledge of Japanese culture, feel free to skip this.)_

_**Moshi moshi- **A telephone greeting. It kinda means "Hello." (But don't use 'Konnichiwa' when answering the phone!)_

_**Itadakimasu- **It's what the Japanese say before eating. It literally means "I will receive."_

_**Tadaima- **It's what the Japanese say when they arrive home._

_**Okaiiri nasai- **It's said in return to 'Tadaima' by the person at home who happens to hear it. It can also be shortened to 'Okaiiri.'_

_**Arigatou- **Thank you. You could also say 'Arigatou gozaimasu (Thank you very much) or 'Domo' (an informal way of saying 'Arigato'). _

_Sorry for the long update! My sem break just ended a week ago. I'll be updating on Mondays (or Sundays, depending on your time zone) since this is my only time to use to computer. (I'm not the only one who uses the PC, you see. I share this with my five other family members. And school is more important than fanfiction.) Updates will be slower than usual (as if my updates aren't slow enough). I'll try to update every week or every two weeks. If I haven't updated by that time, you're free to burn me at the stake. Just wait for month more and I'll be having my Christmas break. (I was also shocked when my professor told the class that we only had four weeks to go—is that part of college?) Then I'll be able to (hopefully) update faster. So please put up with my slow updates! (And my REALLY LONG author's note which, by the way, isn't finished yet.) Hopefully English Writing classes would help me improve, but nothing helps me improve more than constructive criticism (or a flame, as long as it states why my wrting is so bad). _

_I haven't seen a SINGLE episode with Haibara Ai on it (except for a clip on youtube where she's disguised as Conan wearing a mask while Shinichi attended Ran's play in a knight costume). My only basis for her characterization is based on what I've read in fanfics and various fansites. (In fact, I didn't even know she existed until I stared reading fanfiction—and I thought she was a GUY!) So please feel free to correct me (or flame me, for that matter) if my characterization stinks. Same goes for the rest of the DC characters in my fanfic. If they are OOC, then please speak up about it!_

_I don't know whether Agasa-hakase and Ran attach the honorific '-kun' to Shinichi's name so if anybody knows, please tell me. That goes for whether Shinichi attaches the honorific "-chan" to Ran's name._

_And yes, Shinichi influenced me to read Sherlock Holmes. I'm done with "A Study in Scarlet," "The Sign of Four," and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." I hope that I'll be able to find time to read "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" in the university library. (And to think I was never a fan of mysteries before. I wouldn't even read Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys. I read a Hardy Boys book last sem and I didn't find it as the cases in Detective Conan, Detective School Q (Yes, I watched this before DC but I still like DC better.), and Sherlock Holmes._

_I actually wanted to cry when I was writing the conversation between Ran and Shinichi (but tears wouldn't form). Or maybe it's because I was listening to sad DC music while writing that (because I don't feel like crying when listening to it by itself eventhough I could feel the sadness conveyed by the songs which I could barely understand the lyrics). _

_I just want to let you all know that I have a plot twist coming up! It's not in the next chapter or happening anytime soon, though. So torture your minds out wondering what my plot twist is while waiting for my next update! (Just joking.)_

_I'm so sorry for not replying to your reviews! I didn't have time to do so. (I'll try not to do it again.) To make up for it, I'm going to reply to your reviews right now as a part of my VERY LONG author's note. (Hey, are you guys still reading?)_

_Okay, here goes:_

_**Mat49324- **I honestly don't know. But what I DO know is the rough plot of the story. Thanks for reviewing and for placing my story on alert and favorites!_

_**Himiko Azora- **I'm afraid I can't tell you that. You must read on to find out. Thanks, my ever loyal reviewer! Thanks also for placing my story on alert and favorites! And for placing me in your favorite authors, I love you so much!_

_**Shina Laris- **I'm glad you liked it! I was beginning to wonder if DC fans cared only about Shinichi/Ran fics, Heiji/Kazuha fics, Kaito/Aoko fics, Conan/Ai or Shinichi/Shiho fics, possible endings to DC fics, confession fics (love or true identity),fics where Conan's identity is exposed…blah…blah…blah. Not that I don't enjoy reading these fics (because I really do), it's just that there are so many possibilities left to be explored in this fandom. My muses are constantly bombarding me with ideas that have yet to be seen in the DC fandom. If only I had more time to write (or was less lazy—another reason why I'm a slow updater)…Thanks for reviewing and placing my story on alert!_

_I would also like to thank **TheUnknownMarauder **for placing my story on alert even though you've remained silent for the past three chapters. It feels great that people are actually interested in this story!_

_To all of the silent lurkers (I'm sometimes like that, I admit.) who read this story and liked it, thank you so much—even if you didn't like it._

_Okay that was one LONG author's note. It was about TWO pages long! Took me hours just to write this author's note. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the long author's note as well. (If you've lived through this long author's note, I congratulate you!) I'll try not to write an author's note this long again and find time to reply to your reviews. Until next time! -plays Thank You for Everything-_


	5. Chapter 5: Of Nicotine and Cigarettes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan. I don't even own any of its DVDs, manga, or CDs.

**A/N:** I decided to use single quotation marks to indicate what the character is thinking so that there wouldn't be an abrupt change in the POV.

An early update! Yeah, yeah, I know that I mentioned last chapter that I only had time to update on Mondays (or Sundays) but the teachers in my school had a seminar to attend to, thus, no classes for me and an earlier update for you guys. But I have make up classes on the 27th so don't expect any updates on that day.

Let's just get on with what you people want...Chapter 5!

**The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 5: Of Nicotine and Cigarettes**

_Kogoro really wanted to live. He really did._

_The so-called "meitantei" believed that he could ever live without smoking just as he did prior to ten years ago. But he couldn't. _

-----------------------------

Sunday evening. The night he resolved to stop smoking. He did it for his only daughter Ran. The worried expression on his daughter's face haunted him for the rest of that evening. That face kept on haunting him—terrifying him even—every time he had an urge to smoke.

But today, he didn't care anymore. An entire day without his dose of nicotine was too much for him—even worse if it were to be his _entire _remaining lifespan, however long that may be.

It was killing him. It was really killing him. And he couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

It was nine o'clock on a Tuesday morning. Ran and Conan were at school. Kogoro was at his ebony office chair, arguing with a tiny voice in his mind telling him to search the entire detective agency for cigarettes. He couldn't possibly believe that his daughter threw away his precious cigarettes—he just wouldn't. The belief that was firmly fixed on his mind was that the cigarettes were hidden somewhere. 

_He managed to live for an entire day without smoking, so why couldn't he manage another one?_

It was true. He _had _managed to live for an entire day without smoking—well, barely. It was a painful experience for him. He firmly resolved to himself to stop smoking but the cravings just wouldn't stop. The urge to smoke grew more and more as the sands of time continued to flow.

It was the first time he ever felt like this. Before his diagnosis, he could easily have a smoke whenever he had the urge to. After all, Japan didn't have rigid laws regarding smoking.

But now it was different. The pain was killing him. And he couldn't let his daughter know about it, could he?

_The horrors of withdrawal symptoms…_

He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted everything back the way it was. But, alas, God did not wish to grant the detective's heart's desire.

* * *

After a seemingly _endless _hour of arguing with the little devil in his head, Kogoro finally stood up and ransacked the _entire_ agency in search for the elusive pack of cigarettes. He left no nook or cranny unturned. He even searched through the garbage bins, not to mention Ran and Conan's things, but his efforts were futile. 

The unsuccessful treasure hunt took him until noon. He was frustrated that his daughter was able to hide successfully his cigarettes. It even crossed his mind that she probably threw it somewhere far away.

He looked at the wall clock. Both of its hands pointed upward to the number twelve. He knew that it was time for lunch. He just remembered that Ran had cooked lunch—vegetables, again—for him and had left it in the refrigerator. All he had to do was heat it up.

He wanted to sulk at the thought of having vegetables again for lunch when he noticed something: the entire Mouri Detective Agency was a mess—a big mess. He shuddered at the thought of his daughter coming home with everything in disarray. She might even find out about his failed quest—and he didn't want that.

He decided to fix the chaos that he had created because of cigarettes, which took him three hours. He realized how much easier it was for him to make a mess than to clean it up.

Tired and hungry, he went to the kitchen to heat up his supposed lunch. It was more of an afternoon snack, really, considering the time. Nevertheless, he devoured his simple meal of rice and vegetables like a famished monster that hadn't eaten for days. He actually enjoyed the meal as if it was like the ones he used to have before his diagnosis. He even forgot about his nicotine cravings (and even washed the dishes!).

With the thought of nicotine out of his mind, he went back to his office chair. He was about to grab the remote control to watch one of Okino Yoko's videos, when his exhaustion took over him. Dropping the remote on the floor, he fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Ran came back home. Everything was exactly the same as she had left it, if not cleaner. The only thing that was different was that the remote was located on floor. 

Ran approached her father and placed a rectangular shaped object in between her father's large fingers. She then quietly left the office, most probably went to her bedroom.

* * *

It was sometime around six in the evening. Ran was cooking dinner while Conan was in his room doing his homework. 

Kogoro woke up from the abyss called slumber and felt something flat and smooth on his hand. He looked at it and was surprised to see the words "Nicotine Gum" written in katakana. He felt really contented at that moment. God had granted the detective's heart's desire—although in a way he'd never expect.

_Were you surprised by the ending? Okay, I know it was short (in fact, the shortest chapter I've ever written) but I kinda liked it. Whoohoo! A sucessful attempt on writing a chapter with absolutely no dialogue or thoughts (ones that are directly expressed)!_

_I was looking through a sports dictionary last Wednesday and I found "Eri" as one of the sports terms--judo to be exact. (And to think Eri knows judo...) Anyway, it meant collar or jacket, although I really couldn't see what's the relation of that word to judo. (Collarbone? But what about the jacket? Their robes?)_

_**I'm so happy! I've got 10 reviews already**! Special thanks goes to **Himiko Azora**, **Mat49324**, **SunniNiko** (anon.), and **Eelven Girl**. For everyone else who read, thank you very much!_

_Before I go, I just want to clear up something. I don't live in the USA nor am I an American. In fact, I've never even been there. (My family was supposed to attend my grandparents' renewal of their wedding vows for their 50th golden anniversary in the May of 2003, but the American Embassy denied us our tourist visas.) I'm not British, Australian, or any other nationality which has English as its language. Nor do I live or have been to those places. (I haven't even left my country!) If I lived there, I'd dtill be in high school. (Gah. No middle/ junior high school here.)_

_If you're going to review, could you please state what you think my gender is? You don't really have but I'm just curious if you guys have made a mistake in determining my gender...hehe. Until next time! _


	6. Chapter 6: The Bonds of Friendship

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan. I just absolutely adore the series, that's all.

**Erratum:** 'Okaiiri nasai' (Chapter 4) should have been spelled as 'Okaeri nasai'. I'm very sorry about the error. I'll edit it (and my various other ungramatical constructions) when I have time.

**A/N:** After a month of no updates, I finally updated! And on Christmas Day of all days! So consider this this my Christmas present (although this has nothing to do with Christmas...well, maybe a little bit) to you, my loyal readers, especially those who have reviewed/placed this story in their alerts or favorites. This chapter's dedicated to all who have reviewed here so far: **RanMouri82**, **Himiko Azora**, **Mat49324**, **Shina Laris**, **SunniNiko **(anon.), **EelvenGirl**, **AngryPinkChibi**, and **TheUnknownMarauder**. ( I finally have another page of reviews! Yay! Thank you so much, everyone! Your reviews made me feel so guilty for not updating for such a long time. Guilt can be worse than being burned at the stake. Oh, and thanks for not rushing me to update...hehe)

Before I go on with the story, I would just like to tell you that you're guesses were all correct; I am female. I'm a girl who's living in Metro Manila, Philippines. (I'm considering giving my profile a makeover...but I don't have time to do so. Well, at least I'm done with my homework and I have more time for fanfiction and original fiction during my Christmas vacation...though I can't guarantee that I can update a lot during this time. So if I'm going to break the promise I made in chapter 4, I want to apologize in advance.) If I seemed boisterous for asking that question last chapter, I aplologize as well.

So let's get on to the part you've all been waiting for...Chapter 6! Hope you all enjoy it! (It's longer than the filler-ish Chapter 5.)

**The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 6: The Bonds of Friendship**

Twelve o'clock—lunch time at Teitan High. Some students were hanging around their friends' classrooms. Others were eating their lunch at the school yard. A few were even on the school rooftop, overlooking the district of Beika. As for a girl with flowing brown tresses named Mouri Ran, she was simply sitting at her desk in class 2-B. She was slowly nibbling one of the rice balls she made earlier in the morning. There was a dismal look on her face as she stared at the blackboard.

The gloomy atmosphere was interrupted by a perky voice. "Ran-chan! What's with that look on your face?"

It was Suzuki Sonoko, Ran's female best friend. "Oh, it's nothing!" The karate captain denied.

The dirty blonde-haired girl refused to believe her. "Are you sure? You've had that look on your face since the other day!"

"Really, Sonoko-chan, there's nothing wrong at all!" Ran insisted.

"Fine, if you're sure there's nothing wrong," gave up Sonoko.

Ran had been best friends with Sonoko for a long time. They shared many secrets. However, Ran felt that her best friend wouldn't understand what she's going through. Why would she? Her life was a relatively perfect one. She always got what she wanted; after all, she's the daughter of one of the richest families in Japan.

"Ne, Ran-chan, why don't we go shopping after school?" Sonoko tried to invite her best friend. "Don't worry; I'll pay for the expenses!"

Ran usually loved shopping, but today, she wasn't in the mood to do so. She just wanted to come home from school as soon as possible and take care of her ailing father…but…she didn't want to disappoint her best friend as well—she might get suspicious. Ran always was the type of person who loved to please others and she couldn't just stop doing so because of her moodiness. Besides, she figured, Conan could take care of her father—she just needed to call him to come home right after school.

"Uhmm…okay….Sure, why not?" Ran's voice changed from a mumble to her usual cheery tone (not that she felt any better about the series of events in her life recently).

* * *

A short melody played in the school grounds of Teitan High. Classes had just ended and masses of students were walking toward the school gate to leave the premises. Among the people in the crowd were Ran and Sonoko. 

As the two reached the gate, Sonoko told Ran that she's going to phone her driver to come pick them up. Ran acquiesced; she wanted to call Conan—his classes must have ended by now.

* * *

_Riiing! Riiing!_

Edogawa Conan was on his way outside the premises of Teitan Elementary with none other than the Shounen Tantei. He was listening _again _to another one of the children's juvenile conversations. On the bright side, he wasn't suffering by himself—Haibara Ai was also with them.

Conan heard the ringing of _his _cellphone. He stopped on his tracks; the rest of the Shounen Tantei followed. He then grabbed the phone from his backpack. "Moshi moshi!"

"Conan-kun! You finally answered! It's me, Ran." The voice of the girl who was like a mother to him said.

"Ran-neechan, why did you call?" Conan queried.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you to come home right after school." Ran replied. "I have to go somewhere with Sonoko-chan. Take care of Dad, okay?"

Conan didn't exactly want to go home and listen to Kogoro's screams of "Go Yoko!" but he really couldn't take any more Yaiba talk. "Okay, I will."

"Arigatou, Conan-kun." Ran gratefully responded.

_Beep…beep…beep…_

Conan returned his cellphone to his backpack.

"Hey, we have a book report due next week. Let's go to the library and work on it already!" Ayumi invited Conan.

"Gomen ne, minna-san. (Sorry, everybody.) But neechan told me to come home after school." Conan apologized. "Maybe we could work on the book reports tomorrow," he added, although he _really _didn't enjoy working on book reports that involved children's books.

"Okay, Conan-kun. I guess this means we'll just have to go home together!" Ayumi exclaimed.

And off the Shounen Tantei went (Haibara Ai included—reluctantly) to the direction of the Mouri Detective Agency which had been Conan's residence for quite a while now.

* * *

A black limousine drove up in front of the Teitan High school gate. "It's the driver!" Sonoko hollered. "C'mon, Ran-chan, shopping awaits!" 

"Ahh…hai (yes)." Ran mumbled as the two of them rode the back of the limousine with her riding inside first, thanks to the insistence of Sonoko.

"Where are we going, miss?" The driver inquired.

"Downtown, of course!" Sonoko remarked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The driver drove all the way to Ginza, one of Tokyo's well-known shopping and entertainment districts. There were plenty of shopping malls, restaurants, and bars, all of which were among the most expensive places in the world.

"Sonoko-chan! We're shopping at Ginza! But it's so expensive in here…" Ran exclaimed, with the last sentence turning into a mumble.

"Of course! They have the best stuff!" Sonoko proclaimed. "Hey, let's go shopping there!" She pointed her right index finger at a tall white building with a long banner flowing down its side.

"Yes, miss." The driver politely responded and drove the vehicle toward the white building.

A few minutes later, the three had reached their destination. The driver got off his seat and opened the door for his passengers. Out went Sonoko, followed by Ran.

"I'll call you when we're done shopping, okay?" Sonoko told her driver.

"Yes, miss," was his usual courteous reply. "Have fun shopping." He then went back to the driver's seat and left for the Suzuki residence.

Sonoko and Ran entered the building. It was huge—with racks and racks of clothes and accessories at every corner. Sonoko immediately spotted a tangerine-colored blouse and went to try it out in the fitting room.

Ran, on the other hand, stared at all the store's inventory. She was awestruck at the store's myriad of garments and their matching accessories. However, the aching of her heart still wouldn't dissipate. She tried scrutinizing the first piece of clothing she could get her hands on. It was a strappy red dress. It reminded her of her _telephone_ conversation with Shinichi the other day—and the reason why he called. It all added to her moodiness. She agreed to go shopping with Sonoko to forget—not remember—all her worries and problems. But no, those irksome feelings keep on resurfacing—and it all happened in the silence of a department store.

Sonoko opened the door of the fitting room. "Ne, Ran-chan, what do you—"

She looked at her best friend staring at the dress with a dreary look in her eyes. She found it odd that Ran wasn't enjoying herself. 'What's wrong with her? I _am _going to pay for the expenses…'

A pool of water was forming around Ran's eyes. "Ran-chan, is there something wrong? _Please _tell me…We're best friends, right? You can tell me anything." Sonoko tried to convince Ran to share her problem.

The brunette remained silent. "Okay, Ran, if you're not willing to share, I'm not going to force you…"

"No, wait…Sonoko-chan, I can't take it anymore." Ran quietly muttered out. The pain was too much for her to handle, thus she poured out her heartache towards her companion. It was the first time the two had shared things to such a degree. Sonoko wiped her best friend's teardrops with a yellow handkerchief she found in her school satchel.

And thus, a _very _long and _very _solemn sharing session begun (which was pretty much one-sided).

Ran had stopped weeping, her tears all wiped away with Sonoko's hand. "Sorry to have ruined our shopping escapade…"

"It's alright," Sonoko assured her best friend. "You feel better now, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," replied Ran. "I feel better after a good cry."

"I guess this means we should go home now." Sonoko stated.

"Are you sure?" Ran checked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Sonoko answered. "Besides, it's getting dark already. You still have to make dinner for those two."

"Yeah," agreed Ran, "you're right."

"I'll just change out of this blouse and pay for it, okay? You call the driver to come pick us up and we'll take you back home." Sonoko instructed.

"Hai (Yes)," obeyed Ran as her companion paid for the blouse.

"Ne, Ran-chan, I'll go get that red dress for you, okay?" Sonoko informed her.

"You don't really have to, Sonoko-chan!" Ran hesitated, shaking her palms in front of her face with her eyes closed. Of all the years she knew her best friend, she had never really expected her to do such a thing for her. "I'm fine really!"

"But it's not fair that I buy something for myself and not for you," insisted Sonoko.

"Demo (But)…"

"No 'buts,' Ran," forcefully said Sonoko in a motherly tone of voice, "I'm buying this dress for you, and that's that!"

Ran didn't say anything anymore, for she felt it was a silly thing to fight over a dress.

The driver of the luxury vehicle politely opened the limousine door with a bow. Ran went through that door carrying her satchel and a brown paper bag containing the dress Sonoko bought for her.

"Ne, Sonoko-chan…"

"Huh? What is it, Ran-chan?" Sonoko queried.

"I just wanted to say thank you—not just for the dress—but for being…being my best friend."

"You're welcome," whispered Sonoko, as she went out of the vehicle and enclosed her arms around her best friend, giving a nice, friendly hug. "See you tomorrow at school."

"Hai (Yes)," Ran returned, as her best friend let go of her embrace. She then hurriedly ran up the stairs leading to her father's office. Sonoko returned inside the limousine and left for home.

"Tadaima!" Ran muttered as she opened the door of the detective agency. She found her father to be dozing off in his office chair again while Conan was absorbed in reading "The Sign of Four" on the indigo-colored sofa. Conan didn't notice her presence.

"Thank goodness," she quietly sighed to herself, with a sign of relief on her face. She rushed to her room to drop off her things on her bed. She then made her way into the kitchen as fast as she could. It was late; she had to cook supper soon.

* * *

An entire week had passed since her father's diagnosis. The occupants of the Mouri Detective Agency were eating their breakfast in the kitchen when suddenly. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it!" Ran volunteered. She placed her chopsticks in its holder and walked towards the source of the sound. She opened the door and saw...

_Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Feliz Navidad! Joyeaux Noël! Kurismasu Omedeto!Thanks again for the reviews! Hope you liked the chapter! See you next time (whenever that will be)!_


	7. Chapter 7: An Unexpected Surprise

**Disclaimer: **There's no way my fanfiction could ever replace Aoyama-sensei's original work.

**A/N:** First of all, I'd like to thank anonymous reviewrs **animeseeker72pinay** and **Lurker** for pointing out my overdescription in Chapter 2: Winds of Change. (Although I don't think there's any sense in thanking **Lurker **since he most probably stopped reading at Chapter 2.)

I'd also like to thank **Mat49324 **and **Ivory Petals** (formerly known as **Himiko Azora**) for reviewing.

Please don't be decieved by the chapter title. The chapter might not seem exciting, but something important is going to happen at the end.

I'm going to fix that horrible overdescription soon and edit the rest of the chapters--a style change prior to this chapter maybe.

Thanks for supporting my not-so-great work. Anyway, on to the story!

**The Call of Death **_by Detective Conan Addict_

**Chapter 7: An Unexpected Surprise**

…a tanned teenage male. He was wearing his usual Sax baseball cap, a pale blue shirt, a beige jacket, a pair of denim pants, and black rubber shoes. Together with the man was a female of the same age as him. She was a bit shorter and had a fairer complexion compared to her companion. Her hair was tied using a pink ribbon, which accentuated her outfit: a white sleeveless blouse with a huge horizontal pink stripe right below the chest, an ordinary pink miniskirt, a pair of plain ivory-colored socks, and a pair of white sneakers with a pink stripe running across diagonally.

"Hattori-kun! Kazuha-chan! What are you doing here?"

"We're visiting you of course!" was Kazuha's nonchalant reply.

"Told you we should have called first, ahou," Heiji bluntly told his companion, with a smirk on his face and his eyes piercingly staring at her face. Kazuha's eyebrows furrowed while her eyes narrowed.

"Who are you calling an ahou, ahou?!" Kazuha spat back loudly. "I thought it would have been more fun to surprise them!"

"It's fine, really!" Ran interjected, just in time to stop an ahou-calling contest between her two visitors. "Have you guys eaten breakfast already? We were just eating before you two came. I'm sure there's still some food left."

"Thanks, neechan," Heiji politely replied. "I am kind of hungry."

"What are you talking about?!" Kazuha shouted in her companion's ear. And in a lower tone of voice, she added, "We just ate on the train!"

"It's no problem, really," insisted Ran, who was fearful of another ahou-calling contest between her Osakan friends.

"Okay, if you say so." Kazuha coolly responded. "C'mon, Heiji, let's go to the kitchen."

Ran led the way to the kitchen, followed by Heiji and Kazuha, who managed not to squabble or call each other "ahou" in that short period of time. As soon as they reached their destination, Ran directed the two teenagers from the Kansai region to sit down while she prepared their food. The Kansai Detective was about take his seat beside Kazuha when he noticed a cabinet with glass panels. Inside the cabinet was a hoard of supplements—supplements which he believed were not there the last time he and Kazuha went to Tokyo.

"Neechan," Heiji asked, "what are all those supplements for?"

"Well, umm…those are…" Ran nervously replied. "Those are for my father….Well, you see, umm…last week…he's been…he's been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis."

"I see." Heiji calmly replied.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kazuha inquired.

"The doctor said that there's no hope for a cure." Ran quietly answered, ignorant of the fact that her father was still there. "He could only extend my father's lifespan. The doctor said that people who are afflicted with this disease generally live for five to nine years."

"Y'know," Heiji pointed out in his usual Osakan accent, "I remember reading in an article somewhere that a hot spring bath is good for the liver."

"Hey, that sounds like a good idea." Ran agreed.

The sound of Ran's voice agreeing to a hot spring bath made Conan want to cough his food out. 'A hot spring bath! What if Ran makes me take a bath with her again?!' His brain then began to flood with memories of Kogoro's reunion with his former classmates in judo. One of them was especially vivid: a naked Ran scrubbing Conan's tiny body before they entered the spring—an experience that made his nose bleed. This time was no different.

The scarlet-colored liquid that slowly trickled out of the not-so-innocent child's nostrils interrupted an ongoing discussion about a trip to the hot springs next week. The tanned Osakan was the first one to notice.

"Ku—Conan's nose is bleeding!"

Ran hurriedly ran out of the room to get the first aid kit in the bathroom's medicine cabinet. She was followed by Kazuha. Only Heiji, Conan, and Kogoro (who was starring at Conan's bloody face) remained.

Heiji sat near Conan and whispered something in the boy's ear. "You were thinking something perverted, weren't you?"

"Of course not!" Conan furiously rejected his friend's accusation. He stood up from his seat and marched out of the room, with an angry look in his eyes, a pout on his face, and the blood on his nose gradually dried up.

"Wait, Kudou, I didn't mean it like that!" Hattori yelled as he stood up and ran after the sulking kid, not noticing the fact that Ran's father heard him call Conan "Kudou."

'What's with those two?' Kogoro thought as decided to resume the task of eating his breakfast. 'I can't understand kids these days.'

The not-child was sitting down on the azure-colored sofa, still brooding. He was inwardly using all the curse words he knew back at Hattori. These series of curses were interrupted by a familiar Osakan accent.

"You didn't have to take it so badly, y'know." Hattori Heiji was right behind him.

"Oi!" Conan defended himself. "It wasn't like I wanted to take a bath with her!"

"So you're worried about that happening again? I'll tell neechan that I'll be the one to scrub you then," Hattori told Conan.

"I don't need you to scrub me! I can scrub myself!" Conan rejected.

"I can't believe you took that seriously!" Hattori remarked. "As if I'll ever scrub you!"

"Good." Conan responded.

As the confrontation between the two detectives ended, Ran and Kazuha entered the room.

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Ran said with a sign of relief on her face. She then started to treat Conan's nosebleed.

"Why'd you bring Conan-kun down here, you ahou?!" Kazuha yelled. "Do you know how much time it took us to find you two?!"

"It wasn't my fault! It was Ku—Conan's fault! I just followed him here!" Heiji yelled back with the same intensity.

"Why would Conan come down here in the first place, you lying ahou?!"

And so the argument between the Kansai couple continued until lunch. Their relentless yells at one another were heard throughout the agency. Their noise could even be heard in the coffee shop downstairs, scaring away potential customers. Even potential clients of the Mouri Detective Agency were unsure of ringing the doorbell.

Conan and Ran returned to the kitchen to finish their breakfast. The latter decided to save the food she was preparing for her guests' lunch later—it didn't seem like they were going to eat breakfast after all. After finishing their food, they planned to return to the office and watch the two bicker—they found the quarrels between the Osakan teenagers to be very entertaining.

Kogoro had already finished his food and wanted to watch Okino Yoko on the television set in his office but he found the Osakan youths' ruckus to be very disturbing in his quest to see the pop star perform. He decided to retire to his room and sleep.

* * *

It was the day of their trip to the hot springs. Kogoro had rented (because he couldn't afford one) a car for their use on their outing. He was driving, of course. He didn't want that Osakan kid (who had his own motorcycle) to damage the vehicle. The rent's expensive enough as it is without having to pay for damages. 

The sky above the highway never looked bluer. Fluffy white cirrus clouds were slowly passing by and birds were fluttering through the azure heavens. The fields which surrounded them were very much verdant. A cow would be occasionally spotted here and there. The teenagers—and even Conan—were in such awe watching the picturesque view that they even forgot to gorge themselves with the tons of junk food they brought along with them. Kogoro, on the other hand, was concentrating on his driving.

They finally reached their destination. It was tiny secluded ryokan 1 near the mountains with various (yet refreshing) hot springs about. Almost everything was surrounded with trees. The surroundings were surprisingly not foggy. Everyone (even Kogoro) in the automobile got off and adored the marvelous view—a view even more marvelous than the ones they had seen on their way here. An invigorating mountain breeze filled their lungs, and all felt revitalized. The elder detective was most probably the one who benefited the most from this excursion to such an idyllic place like this. You could say it was paradise.

After partaking in the intoxicating view, the party of five entered the ryokan (1). The floor was wooden and the walls were made with paper. In front of them was a tall, mahogany-colored desk. Behind it was a youthful-looking woman, wearing a long-sleeved vermillion kimono with a maroon obi (2) around her waist.

"Welcome, everyone."

Ran was the first to approach the aquamarine-eyed woman. "We'd like to use the hot springs, please."

"Is this only for today, miss?" the ebony-haired woman enquired.

"Hai," replied Ran.

"Will lunch be included, miss?"

"Hai."

The kimono-clad woman thus continued to ask Ran questions regarding the use of the facilities. The karate champion only had one answer, "hai." After a series of questions, there was plenty of bowing between the two. The woman was about to give Ran their yukata (3) and furoshiki (4), when Kogoro attempted to flirt in his usual loud tone, his eyes enlarging to four times its original size as he spoke.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

The attendant's jaw suddenly dropped in aghast. There was a startled look in her eyes.

"Zip it, Dad!" Ran butted in. She looked at her and bowed back. "Please excuse my father."

The attendant thus continued her job of handing Ran their yukata and furoshiki. She then directed them to the baths and other facilities of the ryokan. "Lunch will be at twelve o'clock sharp. Please enjoy your stay."

Ran then proceeded to distributing to everyone their yukata and furoshiki. As she gave Conan his articles of clothing, she asked him, "How about we take a bath together with Kazuha-chan?"

Conan gave the male Osakan an imploring please-save-me look. Ran was oblivious to that; Heiji was otherwise.

"Neechan," Heiji told her, "I'll give him a bath if'ya don't mind."

"Oh." Ran muttered. "Is that fine with you, Conan-kun?"

"Mm!" Conan responded. It was one of those _very _rare moments where he refused to tag along with his 'neechan.' 'That was close,' he thought.

The boys and the girls split up in the direction of their respective baths. They first scrubbed themselves of their impurities before going in their respective hot springs. The day idly passed by as they soaked their worries away—even for only that ephemeral moment.

* * *

After a scrumptious kaiseki-ryori (5) meal, everyone decided to play some ping-pong. At the moment, Ran was playing against her father. Conan and Heiji were intensely staring at the game; Kazuha was cheering for her friend Ran. 

It was now Ran's turn to serve the ball. She hit the ball with a huge amount of force using her forehand. Kogoro wanted to hit the ball, but he couldn't. His vision of the ball was hazy; Ran's face was unrecognizable. The spectators of the game all seemed to blend into the background. The ball hit the paper wall behind Kogoro and at the same time the elder detective collapsed on the floor.

"DAD!!!"

And at that moment, time stood still.

**_Notes:_**

_**(1) Ryokan - **a Japanese inn_

_**(2) Obi -** a sash worn around the waist area of the kimono_

_**(3) Yukata -** a cotton robe_

_**(4) Furoshiki -** a rectangular piece of cloth worn around the waist area of the yukata_

_**(5) Kaiseki-ryori - **a traditional Japanese set meal consisting of many courses._


End file.
